Zip it, Block it, Flag it

At the end of last year, the government announced that it was going to start a new e-safey awarenss campaign using this slogan:

 

I thought I'd share with you some of the methods I have been using in the last couple of weeks with Year 5 children to help them understand this campaign:

• Using this interactive slideshow I created, pupils first recorded what digital communication tools they use themselves (e.g. email, social networking sites, MMS/SMS, Instant Messaging etc.) before completing a Venn diagram to sort out a variety of statements I'd prepared which describe the differences between real (face-to-face) and online (virtual) conversations using such communication tools (to help them realise how people can lie more convincingly when you can't see them and pretend to be someone their not).

• Next, I showed them the Jigsaw video by the CEOP and we talked about what mistakes the girl (Becky) made in the film that had helped a stranger to find and follow her. This led nicely into a discussion about what is meant by the term 'personal information' (information that can uniquely identify an individual) and how revealing too much of it can be unwise as a stranger can piece together lots of small facts (rather like a jigsaw puzzle) to find out exactly who you are. The children then had a go at writing up some rules Becky should follow to help her stay safe online in future:
• Zip it – Don’t share your personal information with strangers. Keep your profile settings private.
• Block it – Block friend requests from strangers on social networking sites.
• Flag it – Always tell a trusted adult if something online scares/upsets you. Report any meeting requests from strangers to a trusted adult. Remember to be as careful online as you are offline.

• After that we then used this matching activity I'd made to clarify our understanding of what other hazards associated with digital communication devices mean - viruses, spam messages and cyber-bullying. The children then had a go at completing a quiz I'd made up in GDocs that required them to select the safest and most responsible course of action to take in four different scenarios, with justification.
• Finally, I let them have an explore of the super CyberCafe website. This is split up into various sections, with each one containing an activity where they must make the right decisions about how to deal with potentially risky/dangerous/upsetting situations - such as when: text messaging, emailing and using social networking sites. As in previous years, they all really enjoyed this since it gave them the freedom to explore the consequences of their decisions by themselves.

E-safety education is extremely important in today's society where digital communication is becoming ever more popular, however I always stress that it's emphasis should be on teaching children how they can take steps to act safely and responsibly. Equipping them with a sensible surfing attitude is likely to be much more useful in helping them become digital citizens than scaremongering them of the dangers they might encounter.

(My e-safety bookmarks can be found at http://delicious.com/parkfield/e-safety)

Comments

[mynictle]

Great post Simon - thank you!

[Social Network Design]

Simon, the video is HD. How did you get it?

[Simon Haughton]

I just located the video on YouTube and then copied the embed code. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o8auwnJtqE